Improvement in toys



w. La MONTAGN'E.

Toy.

Patented Oct. 22, 1878 N. PETERS. PHOTOLITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

WALTER LA MONTAGNE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,274, dated October 22, 1878 application filed August 31, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER LA M ONTAGNE, of Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speaking-Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification,

'in which- .cover, arranged in such manner with the shell or case that, by forcing the air through the tube, an imitation of the human voice is pro- ,duced, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents a tube, provided with a mouth-piece, A, and B a reed placed within the tube A. C is a a case, made in two parts, of oval form, the

upper half of which, 0, is hinged to the lower half, 0. D is a spring, of any preferred construction, which is placed within the shell or case, and which serves to hold the hinged portion, 0, of the caseopen or away from the lower half. The upper part of the shell or case is provided with two or more perforations, a a, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

The manner of operating the toy or device is as follows: The mouth-piece A being placed in the mouth, the thumb is placed upon the lower or stationary side of the shell or case and the fingers placed upon the upper or hinged portion, pressing the two parts tightly together, and overcoming the tension of the spring; then, by forcing the air through the tube into the shell or case, and lifting the fingers, allowing the spring to raise or open the upper half of the shell, the sound of Ma will be produced, and by repeating the movement the sound of Mamma will be pro- I tube produces larynx action, and the shell or case labial action.

This device can be applied to dolls by having the tube connected to a bellows in the body and making the head in two parts, the upper part being connected to the pivoted part of the shell and the lower part to the rigid portion.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for producing an imitation of the human voice, a reed tube, through which air is forced to produce the larynx action, in combination with a divided shell or case for producing the labial action, said shell having its two parts hinged together and held apart by a spring or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The speaking-toy consisting of the tube A, reed B, shells O O, and spring D, constructed and arranged for operation substan1 tially as described.

WALTER LA MONTAGNE.

Witnesses:

PETER GUENTHER, FRED. GUENTHER. 

